Tado Cooling is a WiFi-enabled unit that turns any air conditioning unit controlled via IR remote control into a smart deviceAs internet-connected appliances continue to make their way into the modern home, you'd probably think that cooling your house with a smart air conditioner would involve going out and buying a new one. German company Tado is looking to bring your existing unit up to speed with its Tado Cooling system, a Wi-Fi-enabled device that turns any old air conditioner operated by infrared remote control into a smart device.Tado Cooling is a 100 x 100 x 10 mm (3.9 x 3.9 x 0.4 in) wall-mounted unit that uses infrared to control your air conditioner. It is fitted with six infrared emitting diodes that the company says give it a 180 degree range, essentially replacing the AC's remote control and handing its functionality to the user's smartphone over Wi-Fi.While the companion app provides control over temperature settings and information on usage, the real value of Tado Cooling lies in its geolocation functionality.

The system is able to track when the last person leaves the home and automatically turn the cooling off to save energy. Then, when a resident is approaching home, Tado turns the air conditioner on again to pre-cool the home to the user's preferred temperature.In addition to tracking the user when they're out and about, Tado Cooling is Bluetooth and iBeacon capable, which allows it to monitor users' movements within the home. This might prove useful for those with multiple air conditioning units, with the system able to adjust the temperature in each room as residents move around the house. Though this approach requires the installation of multiple Tado Cooling units.The companion app is currently available for iOS and Android devices. But if your smartphone takes its responsibilities as a remote control a little too seriously and goes missing under the sofa cushion, Tado can be controlled manually via its capacitive touch interface. It also features a humidity sensor, allowing users to set an ideal humidity level and the AC to kick into action when it begins to waver.

Tado first emerged as a player in home energy management last year on the back of its Tado Heating smart thermostat. This product serves a similar function to Google's Nest in automating climate control in the home. What is different about Tado Heating, however, is that rather than using algorithms to learn the user's habits and self-optimize over time, like Tado Cooling it focuses on geolocation services to moderate temperature and save power.Tado has turned to Kickstarter to raise funds for commercial production of its smart cooling system. Early pledges of US$99 are available with shipping slated for August if all goes to plan. You can see the company's pitch video below.On the subject of theft, most restaurateurs have to concern themselves with cutlery walking out of the building, or customers walking out on checks. Both scenarios are peanuts compared to what happened earlier this month at Travail Kitchen & Amusements (pictured, above, in a Star Tribune file photo) in Robbinsdale.

It started when co-owners Mike Brown and James Winberg came in on what appeared to be a normal Friday morning during the first week of August. 2.5 ton vs 3 ton ac unitAs they started working, they noticed that something was amiss.new compressor for ac unit “James said, ‘It feels warm in here,’” said Brown. portable air conditioning units for home“And it was, it was 83 degrees.” Brown said that the moment Winberg commented on the not-so-temperate temperature, a man in mechanics garb walked in the door and asked to speak to the person in charge.“He said, ‘I was servicing the rooftop next door, and I noticed that your AC has been stolen,’ said Brown. “Then he took out his phone, and he showed me a picture.

And I’m like, ‘Are you kidding me?’The man took Brown and Winberg up on the restaurant’s roof. “Someone had come in and really cleaned house,” said Brown. The short version of the story is that a brazen thief or thieves – the perpetrator(s) remain at large – gained access to the two-year-old building’s roof and gutted the heavy-duty machinery, stripping out all the copper coils. “You can see where they dragged it all across the roof, and dropped it off the side of the building, presumably into a truck,” said Brown. “Wham-bam, they had our AC.” Brown noted that the neighbors’ rooftop air conditioning units were also hit. “Our insurance adjuster told us that the same kind of deal had happened about 10 miles away,” he said. “These guys have a system. Because the four-star restaurant is a constant sellout, a full house of prepaid diners (the restaurant sells tickets, in advance, and its tasting menu format runs $91 to $135) was expected in a few hours, and the next night, too.

With no air conditioning. Fortunately, weather conditions were picture-perfect pleasant, and the next two evenings went off without a hitch, thanks to a combination of plenty of open windows and a dozen strategically placed fans. Working with their insurance company and a contractor, the Travail ownership team (that’s Brown and Winberg, along with fellow chefs Bob Gerken and Kale Thome) hoped to have the air conditioning restored by the time diners were scheduled to return, four nights later (the restaurant runs on a Wednesday through Saturday schedule), because the long-range forecast was not exactly conducive to gracious hospitality. “They were talking Everglades-level humidity,” said Brown. “It’s the dog days of summer. We couldn’t have people paying these kinds of prices, sitting and sweating in 90 degrees.” To no one’s surprise, restoring the service wasn’t going to be a cakewalk. Fortunately, the restaurant has a sense of ingenuity programmed into its DNA.

After all, the ownership team pitched in to build the building, and the crew’s cooking ethos is nothing if not inventive. Brown and Winberg got to work and pulled together a temporary solution. A truck-size, 25-ton generator and air conditioning unit, so big it pretty much took over the restaurant’s parking lot -- was called into duty (It was brought in by the event organizer who pitches in with Travail’s wildly popular annual summer party, held at a shoreline park on nearby Crystal Lake). Brown and Winberg got to work, equipping garage door-style windows with plywood, with cutouts for 20-inch intake and outtake air vents. “The customers didn’t notice, temperature-wise,” said Brown. “What they did notice is that they couldn’t park in our parking lot, because that giant truck was there.” Seven days and $30,000 later, the new rooftop units were up and running, with a slight difference. This time around, the replacements – which are working just fine, thank you -- are surrounded by protective bars.